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Add FightsATW on GoogleTonight’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW took place at the CFG Bank Arena and featured the semifinals for the King and Queen of the Ring. It was the 20th RAW from the city of Baltimore, spanning several eras, but the main event of this episode might go down as one of the most anticipated matchups in that timeline.
One-half of the KOTR finals will be decided tonight, and fans have been speculating about Oba Femi versus Dom Mysterio in the lead-up to their semi-final affair. Aside from KOTR action, Roman Reigns is also scheduled for the show.
ROMAN REIGNS HAS FATU SQUASH COMEDIAN IN ONE BIG JOKE
Roman and crew showed up in style tonight as the convoluted story surrounding Jacob Fatu‘s once reluctant attitude towards acknowledging his ‘Tribal Chief’ has shifted. Roman delivered the typical promo with Jey and Jimmy by his side, but Jacob Fatu’s presence remains that of a disrupter—this time for Roman.
The heavyweight champion spoke about the chatter regarding the ‘return of The Bloodline,’ though Roman clarified that the faction never went anywhere and has always controlled the show. There were some weird references to a force attempting to challenge Roman, but he later made it clear he wasn’t referring to Solo.
That is when the oddest part of the segment happened, just as Roman and his faction were making their exit. Roman said something to Jacob, and that is when the Samoan Werewolf snatched up comedian Eric Andre during tonight’s episode of RAW, promoting his upcoming ‘buddy comedy’ film with John Cena, debuting on Netflix.
Andrew was brought into the ring and beaten down at the hands of Fatu, who delivered a splash on the comedian after manhandling him on the mat. WWE officials came down to try to stop things, and Roman laughed as they failed to control anything about the situation. Roman would say into the camera that this action is meant to put everyone ‘on notice.’ However, it is questionable how beating a skinny comedian qualifies as a warning to the massive men that occupy the WWE locker room.
The rest of the ‘Bloodline’ narrative on the night was strange, considering the new report between Roman and Fatu. Roman would later tell Fatu backstage that he is different from the rest, specifically Jey and Jimmy, and then doubled down on the idea that Fatu is now ‘on the inside’ of all Bloodline benefits.
LA KNIGHT IN A LA FIGHT
We have seen Jey and La Knight beefing for a long time now, as if there is only one spot left at the top and only one of them can exist in it. So, it was refreshing, if not redundant, when Jimmy came down to confront Knight for his badmouthing of the family. Knight spoke about being ‘cheated’ out of his KOTR qualifier, for which Jey successfully won.
The crowd was with Knight, a Maryland native, but they were equally as eager to have Jey Uso ‘run it back’ after coming down to confront the hometown guy. The entire segment turned into Jey and Knight brawling while Jimmy tried to break things up, but he ended up hitting Knight with a super kick after Knight pushed him down. Jey tried to get back at Knight with a chair, but by then, Jimmy was back to playing mediator.
KING OF THE RING: OBA FEMI VS DOM MYSTERIO—Semi Finals
This match had a big-time feel to it since the two superstars won their qualifying fatal four-ways to advance to the semi-finals. Oba Femi tore through his portion of the qualifier, but the notion of a 3rd match with Brock Lesnar has added to his KOTR narrative in a way that greatly benefits his appeal. Dom, on the other hand, is currently without a storyline after WWE pivoted away from the Finn Balor feud (it had more than run its course anyway) in favor of him joining the blue brand—giving all parties some much-needed distance.
It was a smart start to the match, as Dom immediately took to the outside to keep his distance from the Nigerian monster and expand the real estate around the ring. Staying in close quarters with Oba was never an option, and if Dom could succeed in bringing the fight to the outside, then he would be able to take advantage of the room to work.
As the fight spilled to the outside, JD McDonaugh attempted to sneak behind Oba while in clear sight of the referee—this made little sense because JD’s interference would have cost Dom the match. Once Oba Femi noticed JD creeping, he ran him off into the crowd where The Judgment Day hype man disappeared into the dark.
Oba was always in control of the match, especially after it became a two-on-one match where the referee allowed JD to stay in the ring to get smashed. After JD returned to the ring, he once again tried to attack Oba in front of the ref—this got him pulled into the ring and the match.
Oba ran from one corner buckle to another, smashing Dom and JD one after the other until only Dom was left in the ring. Oba hit a pop-up powerbomb on Dom for the pinfall victory, advancing to the finals at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. Oba will take on the winner of the match between Je’Von Evans and Jey Uso, but he clearly has his sights set on bigger fish.
In the post-match promo, Oba Femi once again mentioned Brock Lesnar as the true pot of gold at the end of the metaphorical KOTR rainbow. It feels like Jey and Evans are being undermined by the Lesnar narrative, especially considering Brock’s questionable active status and the nonsensical retirement angle.
QUEEN OF THE RING: IYO SKY VS RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ—Semi Finals
Iyo Sky defeated Raquel in the semis of their Queen of the Ring matchup, continuing Sky’s success following her friend Raquel’s move to SmackDown. It feels like the distance has allowed Sky to really blossom, but it was Raquel who was working a storyline within the tourney.
Liv and Raquel had words a couple of weeks ago regarding the Queen of the Ring after Raquel claimed that Liv had already made statements that guaranteed a clear path to the crown. Liv’s place in the tourney was met with approval from both Raquel and social media, as Morgan is the current world champion on RAW, despite the winner of the QOTR receiving a title shot.
ROXANNE PEREZ VS CHARLOTTE FLAIR
Later in the night, Flair defeated Perez in singles action despite interference from TJD. Bliss came down to help Flair, allowing ‘The Queen’ to capitalize on the submission win. That marked two losses for The Judgment Day on RAW, with Liv facing Flair to go to the finals at Night of Champions on SmackDown. The frustrations of Perez and Raquel could become fully realized depending on Liv’s success in the remainder of the tourney.
Without knowing the connection, Liv went to Dan Hausen to request a ‘curse’ on someone. That could be a fun angle.
LOGAN PAUL RETURNS
Logan Paul returned to WWE TV tonight, sporting a black brace on his arm following surgery to repair a torn tricep. His return came as a surprise while Je’Von Evans was being interviewed in the ring ahead of his semi-final match against Jey Uso. That is when Logan came out with Austin Theory, demanding that Je’Von join The Vision.
Evans declined, which led to a match that turned into a brawl that brought out The Street Profits. Logan admitted to being impressed by Evans, and the upstart doubled down by having a terrific match with Austin Theory.
Unfortunately, the match ended in DQ after Bron Breakker cut Evans in half with a spear. Evans was coming off the top rope to deliver a high-risk maneuver on Theory, and Breakker came in with perfect timing to blast Evans. Montez Ford brought Dawkins with him to clear the ring, but it was odd to see Breakker booked so strongly only to have him undermined moments later.
OTHER TIDBITS
– Chad Gable got his first singles TV match since ditching the mask, a solid showing against Rusev. The match was meant to continue the relationship-building between Gable and the rest of the lucha locker room while keeping Rusev and Ethan Page in the feud. Rey and Dragon Lee came down to assist Gable after he defeated Rusev, returning the favor for Gable helping them last week.
– It was announced that Seth Rollins will face Bron Breakker in a cage match on the first hour of Night of Champions, broadcast on ESPN before switching to the app.
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